Week of February 20, 1971

President Nixon declares an emergency in the construction industry and

suspends a 40-year-old law requiring that prevailing union wages be paid on all

federal construction jobs.

South Vietnamese and North Vietnamese armored units fought atop Hill 31 in

Laos in the first major tank battle of the Indochina war. Heavy Communist

antiaircraft fire protecting the Ho Chi Minh Trail held U.S helicopters at bay.

The Army orders a general court-martial for Oran Henderson of Indianapolis, a

much-decorated colonel charged with concealing details of the alleged My Lai

massacre in Vietnam. He is charged with dereliction of duty, disobeying

regulation.

A young guard at Raiford State Prison in Jacksonville testifies that notorious

jewel thief Jack (murf the surf), Murphy was butt-stroked in the moth and another

inmate beaten unconscious in a two-hour riot squad “show of force” to break a

convict strike.

Second state of the union address - President Nixon made it clear of the

increasing toughness of the American position on settlement of the war in

Indochina.

First Lt. William L. Calley Jr. takes the stand in

his trial. He pinned his defense to a claim that he

was only following orders at My Lai. He said he

was taught in Officer candidate School that “a

soldier’s job was to carry out any orders that were

given o you to the best of your ability.” In combat

he said, he expected to be shot if he did not carry

out such orders.

Change of position - The Nixon Administration

announces that it supports an extension of the

President’s authority to freeze prices and wages.

Off welfare - - The Nixon Administration proposes

to spend $800 million putting 200,000 able-bodied

welfare recipients to work in public parks, hospitals

and recreation centers and at other public sector jobs.

Holy Smokes - One man’s mistake at the National Warning Center inside

Cheyenne Mountain near Colorado Springs - sent a war alert to UPI and AP -

and they in turn - sent it down the line to commercial radio and television

Week of February 20, 1971

stations. Many of the stations that left air did so after broadcasting the

emergency warning. Some stations ignored the warning - but proceeded with

caution. Others for some reason - missed the entire event. The whole thing

lasted about 40 minutes. The error was blamed on an Army civilian technician

using the wrong piece of tape during a regularly scheduled weekly test of the

nation’s defense warning system. The tape used did not signify a test. Many

listeners were terrified. Mrs. Peter Ori of Chicago said she heard to broadcast on

a Chicago radio station and was “absolutely terrified.” What made it worse for

radio and TV stations - is that - about 18 minutes later - a cancellation order

was sent by the warning center, but they neglected to send a code word with it.

They tried again a few minutes later, but sent the wrong code word! The problem

- stations didn’t want to alarm the public (if they hadn’t already) unnecessarily,

but they didn’t want to cancel the alert without proper code authorization from

Colorado Springs either. Finally - about 10 minutes after the second attempt -

the warning center sent the cancellation order with the proper cancellation code

word.

Tricia Nixon turns 25 this week, and she would just as

soon forget it. She is rarely seen in public with her

friends. She tutors inner city children at a local

elementary school during he week and spends most of

her weekends with Edward Cox in New York, Boston or

at the White House.

Tornadoes hit the south central part of the nation -

killing a total of 49.

Dr. Timothy Leary, appearing at Eldridge Cleaver’s side

in a video tape made by KQED in San Francisco - said

he was settled his differences with the Black panthers

and now agrees that “tripping” on drugs is incorrect behavior for a revolutionary.

“There is a time to expand and a time to contract. This is the time to tighten up,

organize,” said Leary. Leary and Cleaver - the Black Panther’s information

minister, are both living in exile in Algeria as fugitives from prosecution in the

United States. Cleaver last month condemned hallucinatory drugs as “madness”

and said he had ordered Leary “busted” and held under virtual house arrest.

Sports -

Bobby Hull scores a record 27 th career hat trick to lead the Chicago Black Hawks

to a tense 7-5 triumph over the Kings.

Joe DiMaggio - who spent the last three years with the Oakland Athletics as a

coach - but now - is jobless for the first time in 11 years. DiMaggio quit playing

Week of February 20, 1971

in 1951,but returned to help the Yankees with their hitting during spring training in

1960 and has been working ever since.

Music news -

Grand Funk Railroad earns some

$40,000 a concert and sold 10

million albums last year. The trio

from Flint, Michigan earned $5

million in 1970 and according to

manger Terry Knight, should earn

twice that this year! Terry Knight

(27) is the mastermind behind the

group - guitarist Mark Farmer,

bassist Mel Schacher and

drummer Don Brewer. Not bad for

a band who has been around a

few years.

Entertainment news -

Katharine Hepburn is attacked and bitten by a hammer-swinging woman who

had been hiding in a closet in the home of Ms. Hepburn’s father. Miss Hepburn

who opened in the lead role of Coco at Hartford’s Bushnell auditorium, was

treated for an injured finger.

Singer Bobby Darin (34) is reported in very good condition

at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital (LA) after undergoing open-

heart surgery last week.

Radio news -

Wally Schwartz - president of ABC Radio charges the FCC

has “taken on the characteristics of the great inquisition.”

Addressing a broadcast convention, Schwartz told the

audience - “As broadcasters, we are the most vulnerable,

for we have been subject to a regulatory body all along -

one that, in keeping up with the trend to tear at the structure

of the entire business establishment sees itself in a new and

more powerful role.” Schwartz was critical of Congress for

“the flagrantly discriminating legislation banning cigarette

advertising. “I need not remind you that 10% of our business has just been wiped

out by government edict,” he added.

Week of February 20, 1971

Television news -

CBS says “Ben-Hur” - broadcast an entire Sunday night - was the highest in

audience of any motion picture airing on network TV (so far). Nielsen ratings for

the week ending Feb. 14 - the movie scored a 37.1 rating/56 share.

Friday night television -

CBS - The Interns, New Andy Griffith Show, Movie, Merv Griffin

NBC - High Chaparral, Name of the game, Strange Report, Johnny Carson

NBC - Brady Bunch, Nanny and the Professor, Partridge Family, That Girl, Odd

Couple, Love American Style, Dick Cavett

Brady Bunch - Bobby gets busy after discovering he’s the only Brady without a

trophy.

New Andy Griffith Show - Mayor

Andy Sawyer refuses to fix his

sister-in-law’s jaywalking ticket,

but she won’t admit it to her

friends.

The Partridge Family - The family

gives a ride to a girl hitchhiker

and discovers she is a runaway

wanted by police.

Saturday night television -

CBS - Mission: Impossible, My

Three Sons, Arnie, Mary Tyler

Moore, Mannix

NBC - Andy Williams, NBC

Saturday night at the Movies

ABC - Lawrence Welk, Pearl

Bailey, Movie

Andy Williams - Jonathan

Winters, the Association, Cass

Elliott.

Strange Report -

Adam Strange is contacted to

look into the disappearance of a

heart surgeon.